What is USDA Market News?
It is a service of the Agricultural Marketing Service that collects and reports market information on livestock, poultry, grain, dairy, specialty crops and other products. AMS describes reporters who gather prices and volumes from market participants, and the results appear as daily, weekly and monthly reports on its websites.
The reports describe what already happened, such as sales at a sale barn, bids at a grain terminal, or shipments of produce. They are not forecasts, although many people use them to judge direction.
Reports come in several forms: a daily summary, a weekly roundup, and a monthly or seasonal review. The shorter ones help with timing, and the longer ones help with planning.
Where do I find the reports I need?
AMS organizes reports by commodity area, including livestock, poultry and grain, specialty crops, dairy and others. Its Market News site, called My Market News, lets you search reports by commodity and location, and many can be viewed or downloaded for free. Some can be sent to you by email.
Start with the nearest market to you. A report from a sale barn or terminal in your region says more about your price than a national average.
- Livestock, poultry and grain reports
- Specialty crop terminal and shipping point reports
- Dairy and other product reports
- Local and regional market reports
How do I read a report?
Every report has a header that tells you the date, the market, and what is covered. Read it first, because a report on feeder steers means little if you are selling slaughter cows. Then look at the units: price per hundredweight, per pound, per bushel or per case.
Notice the range, the average and the volume. A high price on few head tells you less than a lower price on many. Watch quality descriptions, weights and grades, which explain why prices differ.
How can farmers use Market News?
Livestock producers compare their sale results with reports from the same day and class, to see whether they sold at or below market. Grain farmers compare local bids with other elevators and track basis, which is the gap between local cash price and the futures price. Produce growers check terminal prices to decide where and when to ship.
Lenders and insurance agents also use price history. Printing a few months of reports to bring to a meeting gives your plan evidence.
- Sale results versus the market on the same day
- Local grain bids and basis
- Terminal prices for shipping decisions
- Price history to share with a lender
What are the limits of these reports?
Reports depend on what reporters can verify, and some markets have low volume or confidentiality limits that affect what is published. A thinly traded product may show a price range based on a few sales. Different regions can show very different numbers for the same product.
Treat the numbers as one input. Prices change daily, and a report gives you a snapshot, not a promise.
Remember that confidentiality rules can limit what gets published, and holiday weeks can produce thin reports. When a report looks odd, check the notes at the bottom.
How can I build a simple price-tracking habit?
Choose two or three reports that match what you sell. Check them on the same day each week, write the numbers in a notebook or spreadsheet, and add short notes about weather and news. After a season, you will see patterns in your own market.
Compare those patterns with your cost of production. Knowing your cost per unit tells you what a report price means for your profit.
What mistakes should I avoid?
Using a national price when your local market is different, ignoring grades and weights, and chasing a single high price. Another is trusting a social media post about prices over the report itself.
Ask a local extension educator for help reading a report. Many offer outlook meetings that explain how to use the data.
Remember to compare reports from the same week of previous years too, since seasonal patterns often repeat and give context for today's number.
- Using the wrong market or class
- Ignoring weights and grades
- Chasing one high price
- Trusting rumor over the report
Key takeaways
- Market News reports what actually sold, not what will happen next.
- Use regional reports that match your product, grade and unit.
- Read the header and units first, then range, average and volume.
- Keep a simple weekly record so you can compare your sales with the market.
Sources and official links
Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Money & Grants Editorial Team. Educational only, not tax, legal or financial advice. See our editorial policy.